Govt plans to buy Chinese submarine this year: Prawit

[SunsetT]

1 hour ago, JAG said:

They are going to use it in the Andaman Sea, yet the base is at the head of The Gulf of Thailand?

Now I'm no naval strategist, but it does seem silly to have to bimble past/through all those navies which presumably are the threat/reason you need a submarine, to get from your base to the area in which you are going to operate.

They'll get Oishi to build a high speed aquaduct from the Gulf to the Andaman sea...........

......(Think Japanese buffet conveyor belt).............

Edited January 25, 2017 by SunsetT

[Saraburi121]

6 minutes ago, farcanell said:

Ah.... what?

 

lets see.... some twenty odd new amendments have been added to that old constitution.... does that not then mean that the well thought out constitution has been changed twenty odd times?

 

you say Thailand is heading for its 8th.... not bad by comparison.

Keeping up with change since signed in 1787...same Constitution just amended for change.

[impulse]

5 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Economic stimulus.

 

Thailand used to have submarines until the '60s. 

 

Close, 1951. After RTN sub-mariners staged an unsuccessful counter-coup, Manhattan Rebellion, all subs were decommissioned....

  So, after an absence of 66 years, the teenage boys can invite their sweeties to Lookout Point to watch the submarine races once again.  They'd say the money was well spent.

[Chip Allen]

It's needed to enforce those LM laws. National security and all that.

 

[SunsetT]

41 minutes ago, realenglish1 said:

Yes Farang do think too much but seem to get it right most of the time This is why there is a country Called the United States because they did think too much and wrote the constitution which is enshrined in Law

Here in Thailand Thais do not think too much and are working on the 7th or 8th constitution because they do not think enough and did not get it right 

Thais, bless em,  have good brains but are not taught to use them; they are not taught to think. Hence everything is trial and error here. Look around you at all the white elephants, expensive projects that failed and are overgrown with weeds, or replaced by another expensive project.....

Edited January 25, 2017 by SunsetT

[realenglish1]

20 minutes ago, farcanell said:

Ah.... what?

 

lets see.... some twenty odd new amendments have been added to that old constitution.... does that not then mean that the well thought out constitution has been changed twenty odd times?

 

you say Thailand is heading for its 8th.... not bad by comparison.

A constitution should not be opened at the will of one person It should have fair and free elections first then a referendum not the way it was done Amending must have dissension  to find what a consensus Not at the whim of one person  

[realenglish1]

5 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

Thais, bless em,  have good brains but are not taught to use them; they are not taught to think. Hence everything is trial and error here. Look around you at all the white elephants, expensive projects that failed and are overgrown with weeds, or replaced by another expensive project.....

Totally agree 100% Thais do not how to to Vet Properly Your right so much waste of resources 

[sjaak327]

Come on, I do see an advantage, at least the sub is diesel fuelled, instead of nuclear !

[LannaGuy]

any colour but must be yellow...?

[webfact]

UPDATE:

 

Thai junta gives go-ahead to buy Chinese submarine and tanks

REUTERS

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's military government has approved 13.5 billion baht ($380 million) to buy a submarine from China after putting the purchase on hold last year, Thai officials said on Wednesday.

 

Full story: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/965607-thai-govt-gives-go-ahead-to-buy-chinese-submarine-and-tanks/

 

[hotchilli]

Hope it's not a usual knock-off???

[connda]

  

[MickGC]

6 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

Quite a number - this Prawit guy. Dusting off the old money spinner of his predecessors. 

Same story seems to resurface regularly in +/- 10 years interval. Last time the Swedish front offered a deal of one new sub - then the Germans came in and said they would supply one brand new sub AND a second-hand sub free of charge for training purposes. The government did not last long enough to ink the paperwork. 

See the billions of Baht clearly wasted in bright daylight at Sattahip; where HTMS Chakri Naruebet has been moored, thanks to plenty of barnacle support, for 20 years. Twice or three times floated for "relief" operations and a yearly venue on Children's Day (2nd Saturday in January). 

It's scandalous but it proves that the public does not care or is simply too stupid to understand what happens with their tax money.

But one never knows, maybe deep river submarine ports are to follow in Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom and Kentao to fight the marine attack to be expected anytime soon by the Thais Northeastern neighbours - the Vietnamese who shoulder carry their subs across the mountains to float them in the Mekong ...........  

I agree with what you say apart from

"It's scandalous but it proves that the public does not care or is simply too stupid to understand what happens with their tax money"

The public do care, but every time they have their say at the ballot box they are overruled by another coup.  They are more likely thinking, what's the point, we have no say in this country.

[bangon04]

“The Thai Navy requires the submarines to maintain military balance in the region because other neighbouring countries already have them. "

 

so it is a "face" thing as well as a "commission" thing...

[Thechook]

13 hours ago, webfact said:

NLA approves Bt13 billion for first submarine, Prawit confirms
By THE NATION

 

 

BANGKOK: -- THE Royal Thai Navy’s long-held dream to have submarines looks set to be realised as the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has approved funding to buy the first of three vessels, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said yesterday.

 

“The Thai Navy requires submarines to maintain a military balance in the region because other neighbouring countries already have them. It will help protect our sovereignty, as well as our abundant marine resources, notably in the Andaman Sea,” Prawit said.

 

The Navy proposed buying three Chinese-built submarines for a total of Bt36 billion. The plan features the acquisition of S26T diesel-electric submarines, which are modified export versions of the Yuan-class (Type 041). 

 

The first submarine will cost around Bt13.5 billion under fiscal budget 2017, according to the Navy. The annual budget was approved in a fiscal bill last September.

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/30304856

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-01-25

They had that dream of an aircraft carrier also but now it's just rusting away.  Why doesn't someone just give them a large cardboard box?  Children can get hours of fun playing in one of those after the new toys are thrown in the corner.

[Jim walker]

Purchased by the Thai people for the Thai people or just an ego whim of the jolly junta generals, who would be better spending THEIR money on curbing Thailand’s corruption epidemic, rather than contributing to it.

[Gandtee]

"Muuum. The kids next door have got a submarine. Can I have one?"

[ratcatcher]

6 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

"Muuum. The kids next door have got a submarine. Can I have one?"

The only trouble is the kids next door are all poorer than Thailand, but The Royal Malaysian Navy does have a couple of Scorpene subs from DCNS,  France. Perhaps the Thais looked south but bought from the Chinese..

[tx22cb]

On 1/24/2017 at 6:58 PM, hanuman2543 said:

My guess:

It is all about the commission which will be paid to a certain group of people. 4% from 36,000,000,000 is about 1,400,000,000 which is roughly 40,000,000 EUR,$ or Swiss Francs. The 4% is an estimate from the Rolls Royce deal. Maybe it's more here.

But maybe the "deciders" are all married to rich partners and they are the "good" people, so no need to worry about corruption, like one general lectured us about before.

Civilian comms 4%.

Military comms much much higher.

[Denim]

Quote

 

Municipal parks all over Thailand will soon be frantically digging out their little 'bungs ' ( lakes ) in the hope of getting one of these subs to add to the towns attractions next to their giant reclining Buddhas. Roi et could really benefit if their bid reaches the right pockets.

[elgordo38]

1 minute ago, Denim said:

Municipal parks all over Thailand will soon be frantically digging out their little 'bungs ' ( lakes ) in the hope of getting one of these subs to add to the towns attractions next to their giant reclining Buddhas. Roi et could really benefit if their bid reaches the right pockets.

There are 3 on order so they might stand a chance. 

[maxpower]

[elgordo38]

8 hours ago, hotchilli said:

Hope it's not a usual knock-off???

I wonder how much it would take to knock it off??

[Trouble]

15 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Economic stimulus.

 

Thailand used to have submarines until the '60s. 

 

Close, 1951. After RTN sub-mariners staged an unsuccessful counter-coup, Manhattan Rebellion, all subs were decommissioned, long story/history, most of which cannot be discussed.

 

Looked this Manhattan Rebellion up and got a good laugh:

 

An interesting piece of historic fact is that the only large vessel the Royal Thai Navy lost in combat over the last 100 years was sunk by the Royal Thai Air Force on June 30, 1951 - The Manhattan.

 

 

[Reigntax]

Could end up benefitting the country.

 

The PM aboard for the maiden voyage,  named the Thaitanic" and running into a Burmese people smuggling ship.

 

 

 

 

[DefaultName]

So, 13,000,000,000 for the sub, how much to dredge the Gulf of Thailand deep enough to use one? 

 

There isn't much point in having a sub if bits of it poke above the surface.

[hawker9000]

On ‎1‎/‎24‎/‎2017 at 3:45 AM, dcnx said:

Excellent use of money. Must defend the Gulf of Siam at all costs.

LOL.  Defend the Gulf?  Against what?   Marauding fishermen?   With a submarine?  No - this will promote TOURISM!!  'See they can sell tour tickets (at 10x the price for foreigners of course).   And the "submarine wings" will look great and be a nice change on the dress uniforms.  (But will they go above or below the jump wings?  Tough decision there.)   'Wonder what the rescue diver wings will look like...

 

 

[Mansell]

Absolute idiocy. What's next, nuclear weapons? In a couple of years they will have lost it in an accident......pathetic. 

[Estrada]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2017 at 8:03 AM, mtls2005 said:

Economic stimulus.

 

Thailand used to have submarines until the '60s. 

 

Close, 1951. After RTN sub-mariners staged an unsuccessful counter-coup, Manhattan Rebellion, all subs were decommissioned, long story/history, most of which cannot be discussed.

 

They were decommissioned in 1951 but still with the Navy until were only sold for scrap to Siam Cement later on. Part of one submarine, the conning tower and some decking are on display at the Royal Thai Navy Museum which will be reachable by BTS later this year/early next year.

[angelman]

You are all correct. And I am astounded. Have just lost a lot of respect for the way they spend money. Is that possible? Do they have any idea what it will cost to maintain them?  Well thai has plenty of money right?  Perhaps expecting big increase in retired farang.  Maybe incentives for the Liberal s that are going to escape from America. Maybe! Well maybe next year.  Maybe this is FALSE NEWS. You think???  I heard the Thai economy not great. Submarines will stimulate.  Stimulate who??  Undeveloped kids??  I personally would feel safer if they would allow me to OWN 1-3 Rai of land so I can build an OWNED HOME and have something nice to defend. Instead of renting and having deposits stolen every time no matter how perfect you leave the place.  Or have to TRUST  Ha Ha a Thai by getting married and putting all in Her name. The most simple but workable plan will STILL be screwed by whatever Thai you work with.  Been here 10 years. Am I  demoralized????   I was thinking to buy a motorcycle. Maybe I should buy a Submarine also. Choices choices!!!!!!